


To Catch A Ghost

by MyJediLife



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo doesn't believe in ghosts, Even ghosts can't resist Ben Solos dick, F/M, Finn is a psychic medium, Ghosts think Ben is sexy, He really smells, Inappropriate Use of a work van, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Paranormal Investigators, Poe is also a paranormal investigator, Poe is flatulent, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey is a paranormal investigator, Romance, Sex, Slow Burn, SwoloFic, Web Series, ghosts are everywhere, poe is a farty pants, poe is a manwhore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 21:09:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19876135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife/pseuds/MyJediLife
Summary: To Catch A Ghostis a web series highlighting the efforts of Rey Sands, Finn Storm and Poe Dameron to capture proof of the Paranormal. Along with their cameraman - the skeptic Ben Solo, and their tech Goddess, Rose Tico, their program is quickly gaining a following.Will Rey ever be able to convince Ben that ghosts are real, or will he remain a skeptic forever - even as strange things start to unfold around him?





	To Catch A Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know... you all are thinking... 'WTF Heathyr... ANOTHER WIP?" Yes. Please remember - I work from home, I have no life, I write an insane amount of hours a day, and I update frequently. <3
> 
> This has been burning in my soul for a while now, fueled by my love of anything paranormal, and a whole lot of hours spent watching Ghosthunters, The Dead Files, and any other paranormal show on tv.
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my beta and moodie artist: [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite). Please go check out her writing, it's amazeballs!
> 
> Here is a link to the location they hunt in this chapter: [Pirates House](https://thepirateshouse.com/)
> 
> Also, thanks to my cheerleaders in the Den... I love you all.

[](https://imgur.com/IE4ZLfL)

_ To Catch A Ghost _ had taken off more than any of them had imagined when they started it, fresh out of college and needing something to do until they found jobs in their chosen career fields. 

Rey had a Master’s Degree in Ancient History, and Finn in Ancient Religions. After meeting in college at a party, in which a drunk Finn had admitted to Rey that he could commune with ghosts, a deep friendship had been formed – and Finn had been her best friend ever since. 

Together, they had pooled their graduation money, bought a van and some rudimentary equipment, and started their web show. When they had gotten to twenty-five thousand viewers, they realized they needed some help, and had brought on their tech goddess, Rose, a very grumpy, sullen and amazingly  _ hot  _ cameraman, Ben, and another investigator, Poe.

Sure, they all had day jobs to pay the bills – Rey was a part time instructor at a community college, Finn was currently working as a curator for a tiny museum that was dedicated to religious relics, Rose worked for a tech firm, Poe worked at an adult bookstore, and Ben – well, Ben Solo was the only one of them with a solid career. He ran the marketing department at his mother’s consulting firm. Rey still wasn’t sure just why they had hired Ben, except for the fact that she had developed a crush on him the moment she saw him, and Finn hadn’t been able to convince her that there were better candidates for the job – like the ones that actually believed in the paranormal. Somehow, though, they made it work, and now they had one hundred seventy-five thousand subscribers, and instead of working out of the spare bedroom of Rose’s apartment, they now made enough money off of advertisers and Patreon to rent an office and upgrade their equipment.

Rey looked up from her laptop with a grin, pointing to the screen as she looked to Finn. “Here’s our next hunt, Finn.  _ The Pirates’ House _ in Savannah, Georgia. It’s been around since the 1700’s. Apparently, patrons at the restaurant feel like they are being watched, and people have reported seeing apparitions. They even have some of the original pages of  _ Treasure Island _ hanging on their wall. Supposedly, Captain Flint died in the building.”

“Except Captain Flint is a  _ fictional _ character,” said Ben in a low rumble from across the room as he fiddled with one of the new cameras they had just purchased. He was tipped back in a kitchen chair, his large feet on the table top as he looked up at Rey, reaching up with a large hand to swipe at a shock of raven hair that had fallen over his forehead. “You know that, right? I mean, I know you have a Master’s Degree in some ridiculous thing – but surely you had to take an English class or two to get it? I know I had to, and my Master’s is in Marketing, for fuck’s sake.”

Everyone looked at Ben, and the large man shrugged before going back to what he was doing. “Sounds like a fun time,” he mumbled to himself as he tried not to look back up at Rey – who he could feel was still glaring at him from across the room.

….

Ben didn’t honestly know why he was a member of a semi-famous ghost hunting team – because he was an atheist who didn’t even believe in ghosts. He pondered this all the time, until he would look up and meet Rey’s eyes from across the office, or meet her eyes across a dark room on a hunt – and then he would remember.

He was here for her. Because of her. It was always her, as much as she drove him absolutely crazy.

He had first met her at a party in college, which was a feat in itself – because Ben Solo was not, and would never be, a people person. He had let his roommate convince him to go with him, though, and in retrospect, Ben was glad he had agreed to it.

She had bumped into him, clearly buzzed, and he had steadied her with one hand, and he can still remember looking into those hazel eyes of hers the first time and feeling his heart come to life. “Hi, I’m Rey!” He could still remember how her voice sounded in his ear as she stood on tiptoes to get closer to his ear.

“Ben,” he offered back, one side of his mouth pulling up in a smile.

They had talked for twenty minutes or so, and when he had seen the advertisements posted around campus for crew members for a ghost show – he had recognized her name immediately, even though it had been more than six months since their brief meeting.

….

Rey waited until everyone else had gone home, knowing Ben would stick around. He always did, for some reason.

“Hey,” Rey said softly, smiling down at him as he remained at the table, his feet propped up as he continued to fiddle with the camera.

Ben was the only person who made her heart dance in her chest like it currently was. She remembered meeting him at the party all those years ago – it had been the best twenty minutes of her life. Now, she wasn’t quite sure where she stood with Ben Solo.

She had some hints though.

They had been on a hunt in Ohio three months ago, touring the Mansfield State Penitentiary. It was famous for being featured in the movie  _ Shawshank Redemption _ – and it was also known to be a hotbed of paranormal activity.

Rey had tripped in the dark while doing EVP work, and Ben had dropped the camera, leaping across the room to get to her. He had insisted on  _ carrying _ her out of the building and to the van, where he sat with her while the paramedics were called. The look of panic in his eyes had been intense, and the fact that he wouldn’t leave her side – even though they had to stop filming for three hours, until she was given the good ahead by the medics – well, not everyone would do that.

“Walk me home?” Rey asked softly, already knowing his answer. The unspoken attraction between them had to be addressed at some point, but Rey didn’t know how to begin that particular conversation. What if she was wrong? What if she was reading Ben wrong, and letting her feelings see things that weren’t there?

Those thoughts were the reason she didn’t broach the subject as Ben walked with her the five blocks to the apartment she and Finn shared.

“So, what do you think about going to Savannah?” Rey asked as they walked, a light mist falling as the skies above the city threatened to open up at any time.

“I think we still have to get permission to film there, and we have to be very careful to make sure all the perimeters put into place by them are met, and we have to get this all done in time for me to make the promotional material to put up on our channel,” Ben said, his voice a low dulcet tone as it floated across the heavy air to her ears.

“Bennn,” Rey said in exasperation, his name a long trill on her lips as she smacked his upper arm lightly. “Let’s grab a coffee and talk about it,” she said, not ready for their time together to be over just yet.

“Sure,” Ben murmured, his gaze sweeping across the only woman he wanted to be with. Any time spent with Rey was treasured – at least by him. He knew he drove her crazy with his scientific explanations for everything, but that was simply the way Ben was wired. He questioned everything, and unless there was scientific proof – it didn’t add up in his mind.

Neither one had to say where their destination was, they had been in the awkward ‘friends who may or may not want each other’ stage for so long now that they knew each other well. As Ben opened the door to the small coffee shop for her, Rey tried to ignore how badly she enjoyed the feeling of his hand on the small of her back as she stepped inside ahead of him.

_ Say something, Rey. Just tell him. Stop being so damn scared – what’s the worse he can do – say no? You’ve been rejected before! _

An hour later, after discussing the logistics of their newest adventure, they found themselves standing in front of Rey’s apartment building. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ben?” Rey looked into his eyes, letting herself swim in their chocolate depths for a minute before standing on her tiptoes to plant a small kiss on his lips. Turning, Rey headed inside as Ben’s hand came up to touch his lips gently where Rey had kissed him.

If Ben had a goofy smile on his face as he walked the five blocks back to his car, well, that was to be expected when the girl you’d been in love with for a while now just kissed you unexpectedly.

….

The twelve hour drive had been split into shifts between Rey, Ben, Finn and Rose. Poe had to work late the night before, as the manager of TNA Adult Bookstore, he didn’t close the store down until three in the morning, and a six am departure time gave him no time to sleep. So, the other four members of the team took their time behind the wheel, all of them rolling their eyes and chuckling at the snores and snorts coming from the sleeping bag Poe had unrolled in the back of the van between the camera and sound equipment.

Finn was behind the wheel currently, and Ben sat closest to the window, Rey’s head on his shoulder as she slept, Ben’s arm around her shoulder like a blanket. Looking back from the passenger seat, Rose said softly, “You should tell her, Ben.” Rose looked pointedly at Rey before she looked back up at him.

“I’m sorry, Rose? Tell her what?” Ben’s voice was just above a whisper as he replied, not wanting to wake Rey.

Rose let out a small giggle, looking at Finn before looking back at Ben. “That you’re in love with her? Duh?”

“I, uh…” Ben ran a hand through his hair with his free hand, looking down at Rey, who was still asleep on his shoulder. He was certain his face was red – were his feelings that obvious? “I, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Rose.”

His remark drew a snort from Finn, and a sigh from Rose as she shook her head at him. “You guys are so clueless. She thinks she’s not good enough for you, you think you’re not good enough for her. She kisses you, you say nothing. She twists her ankle at Mansfield, you bridal carry her out of there and sit with her until medics get there, and then you refuse to let her out of your sight the rest of the investigation, growling at anyone who gets near her. Yeah… you two aren’t  _ totally _ into each other or anything.” Rose rolled her eyes before turning back to the front of the van. “Idiots.”

“Am not,” Ben said softly before looking down at Rey. If he pulled her a little closer after that, well, that was for him to know, wasn’t it? When she woke up an hour later and grinned up at him from under sleepy lashes, Ben had never wanted to kiss anyone more. Instead, he whispered to her softly, “Morning, sunshine.”

“Hey, Ben,” Rey yawned before sitting up more, happy that his arm remained around her shoulders. Sleeping propped up against Ben was like sleeping beside the world’s best smelling, best looking oven. In the two weeks since she had kissed him, things hadn’t changed a bit between them – which was both frustrating and satisfying. Why didn’t Ben mention it, or ask her out, or even try to kiss her?

Rose half-turned in her seat, looking between the two of them and smirking for some reason before turning back towards the front. In the back of the van, Poe snorted, then let out a fart that had them all gagging and rolling down the windows.

Rey shook her head softly. She’d never had a family before, but these four people were her family now, and she loved them all – weird noises and noxious emissions of gas and all. Rey looked back at Ben, who was looking at her, his eyes sparkling with laughter and tenderness.

Rey let out a yawn again, thankful that the smell had dissipated now, and turned her head towards the window, laying her head on Ben’s shoulder again. He pulled her closer, for some reason, and Rey sighed contentedly before asking, “Where are we now?”

“Just outside Fayetteville, North Carolina. Rose and Finn should be switching soon for the last bit of the trip.” Ben’s voice was a low rumble as he spoke, and Rey closed her eyes again, enjoying the vibration it made throughout her body.

“Mm, okay. So, still got some time to sleep?” Rey asked.

“Yes, I got you. Sleep, Rey,” Ben said softly.

And she did.

….

They would be spending three nights in Savannah, at the cheapest motel they could find. Since Finn and Rose were a couple, they always roomed together, leaving Poe and Ben to share a room, and Rey to either sleep in the van, or sleep in a single room by herself. Since she much preferred air conditioning and indoor plumbing, she found herself sitting at the tiny desk in her room later that night, pouring over written accounts of those who had claimed to have experiences of their own at the Pirates’ House.

A light tap at her door made her jump slightly, and she crossed the room and glanced through the peephole before letting a smile come to her lips as she opened the door.

Ben stood there, looking uncomfortable as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Hey, um… Poe needs the room, to, um…” Ben was blushing, and Rey giggled as she pulled him inside.

“Poe brought some random chick back, and he needs the room to show her a good time, so you want to hang out here?” Rey giggled, the blush on Ben’s face growing deeper by the moment.

“Yeah,” Ben choked out. “Can I?”

“Yep,” Rey giggled again, “But you have to order a pizza as payment. You know what I like.”

Four hours later, Rey sat in the chair, yawning, as Ben sat on the edge of her bed, his feet on the floor and earbuds in as he listened to something on his phone. She pushed back from the desk, yawning again, as she approached him, standing in front of him and smiling as he pulled the earbuds out of his ears and quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I… he hasn’t texted me yet. You look exhausted. I can go crash in the van. I’m sorry for intruding on your space like this,” Ben said softly, starting to push himself off the bed.

Rey moved closer, shaking her head and placing her hands on his shoulders so he wouldn’t stand. “Hell no. You’re staying here in the air conditioning. And you’re the one person who never intrudes on my space, Ben. Don’t you get it?” Rey huffed in frustration before pointing at him. “Stay put. I am gonna go get ready for bed. Then we need to talk. Got it?”

“Y-yes. I got it,” Ben replied, his face coloring as he watched Rey move towards her bags.

“And before you even say it, Ben Solo, you are  _ not _ sleeping on the floor. Feel free to choose whichever side of the bed you want. I am not picky.” Rey grabbed things out of her bag before heading into the bathroom, leaving Ben to wonder exactly what he should do. Should he strip down to his underwear and slide under the covers before she came out of the bathroom? 

Should he sleep in his clothes on top of the bedding? What was the protocol for something like this?

Rey came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, dressed for bed in a tee shirt and a pair of shorts, and Ben tried not to stare at her as she came to stand once more in front of him. She shook her head, letting out a snort as she leveled a gaze at him.

“You’re an idiot,” Rey stated softly.

“O-okay?” Ben said, looking at her as she moved closer to stand in between his legs now. Ben wanted to touch her so badly, but instead, he kept his hands in his lap as he simply looked into her eyes.

“I kissed you,” Rey said, her eyes boring into his. “Do you think I kiss just anyone?”

“N-No…” Ben said, his brow wrinkling in confusion. She was choosing  _ now _ to bring this up?

“Ben, do you even know how long I had been waiting to kiss you?” Rey asked softly, her eyes remaining on him.

“N-no?” He choked out. He had always thought Rey wasn’t interested in him as more than a friend. He thought his feelings for her had been one-sided, especially after she had kissed him so softly and then treated him exactly the same after that.

“Since I met you at the party that night back in college,” Rey answered softly. “I haven’t dated anyone since then, because I wanted you to notice me. I wanted you to call me and ask me out. But you never did. Why?”

Ben’s jaw worked furiously as his mind worked over the information Rey had just supplied. She wanted him.  _ Him. _ The man who hated people, who viewed the world with contempt, the man who would rather stay home than go out, the man with the long nose and huge, ugly ears. Rey wanted him. He was amazed – and not certain he had heard her right.

“Y-you wanted m-me?” Ben finally spluttered out, his eyes widening and his face coloring.

“Yes, Ben,  _ you _ . Now, which side of the bed do you want, and we can talk about this more before we fall asleep? And stop overthinking it and take off your damn clothes – you don’t sleep in them – unless you go commando. For some reason, I have always thought of you as a briefs kinda guy. Do you want me to turn around until you are in bed?”

“Y-yes?” Ben stuttered, waiting until Rey had turned away before he slid out of his clothes, sliding under the covers before he said, “Okay,” in a weak voice. His brain was overloaded, and as Rey slid into bed beside him, he thought his heart was going to pound out his chest.

This all seemed so surreal.

He was in bed,  _ with _ Rey – who had just admitted she had wanted to kiss him for a long time now.

Surely, he had to be dreaming.

“Ben,” Rey said softly, and as he turned his head to look at her, he saw she was lying on her side, facing him. “Do… I mean… do you like me? Did you, maybe, want to kiss me again?”

“I…Rey… I… yes,” Ben said, not sure what else he could say right now. His heart was still pounding away in his chest, and his brain was in overdrive as he tried to figure out how he should be acting right now.

“Yes to what?” Rey teased, a smile on her face. “Yes to kissing me, or yes to liking me?”

“B-Both,” Ben stumbled over getting that one, simple word out. He licked his lips and managed to get a few more out, as well. “And I don’t mean as a friend.”

“Good,” Rey said, pulling herself closer to him and pressing her lips to his. Pulling away slightly, she said, “I want to be more than friends, Ben. I want to date. I really,  _ really _ want to date you.” Her lips met his again, and then she was pulling herself closer to him, and then Ben found he really wasn’t thinking about anything but  _ Rey _ and how good she felt in his arms, and how glorious it felt to be kissing her like this.

After what seemed like forever, but not long enough at the same time, Rey pulled away from him, panting slightly as she ran a hand through his hair. “Ben, I… can we, maybe, try to sleep now? I just… I want us to take things slow, so we don’t screw it up, you know?”

“Good plan, because… well, I like kissing you, and I’m not sure I could stop. When we get back to New York, Rey, can I take you out to dinner?” Ben’s voice was melted chocolate, sweet and warm to her ears.

“Yes, Ben. I thought you’d never ask,” Rey’s voice floated to his ears as she snuggled close to him, sighing happily as he opened his arms to allow her to get even closer to him. She fell quickly asleep in the comfort of his arms, her steady breathing lulling him into his own sleep soon after.

….

_ The Pirates’ House _ was the oldest building in Savannah, built in the 1700’s and frequented by sailors and scoundrels, fresh into port from parts unknown. At one time, there had been a tunnel leading from the basement to the waterfront, where many poor souls had been drug to after their drinks had been spiked. They would fall asleep, and wake up on a ship, miles out to sea and with no hope of doing anything but working for whatever Captain they had been sold to. The tunnel had long since been sealed, still, people told stories of disembodied voices emanating from the basement near where the tunnel had once began.

Rey had already done her research, and knew that employees and diners had felt like they were being watched, and other accounts from former employees – and employees alike – told of seeing apparitions of sailors throughout the building.

As she, Finn and Poe talked with the manager, Ben checked his camera equipment and he and Rose decided where to set up the equipment for ultimate viewing on the multiple screens they would have. They could luckily cover all of the establishment with the equipment they had in their van, and Ben and Rose fell into a quiet, familiar routine as they worked to get their equipment ready.

“So… you and Rey, huh? Finally!” Rose said softly, smirking up at Ben.

“Rose…” Ben groaned, rolling his eyes as he unraveled some cable that they would need.

“Ben, we all knew you were into each other. It’s a good thing, really. Now, maybe Rey will stop whining about how much she wants to climb you like a tree.” Rose grinned as a blush made its way onto Ben’s face.

Ben could only make a strangled noise in his throat as he moved away from Rose, his eyes drifting to where Rey stood with Finn, Poe and the manager of the restaurant. He could tell she was in full investigation mode. He loved watching her like this, her wide, curious eyes, excitement radiating from her as she took in all the stories from the various people claiming to have ghostly encounters.

Too bad it was all bullshit – but Ben liked watching her work.

….

If their cameraman had been anyone but Ben Solo, Rey would never be able to sit in a dark, potentially haunted room, by herself, trying to capture a spirit’s voice on a recording device. It was calming to her, knowing Ben was so close, and she knew he would never let anything happen to her.

“Were you a sailor who died here?” Rey asked into the stillness of the room, the only light the small red one on Ben’s camera. Rey pulled a small flashlight from her pocket, setting it onto the wood planks of the floor. Something echoed across the room, and Ben’s eyes narrowed as Rey looked up at him, clearly hearing it as well.

“Did you hear that? It sounded like a footstep,” Rey said quietly.

Ben rolled his eyes as he continued to film. “Could be anything. Residual noise coming from outside, more than likely,” he answered quietly.

“If there is anyone in the room who would like to communicate with us, my name is Rey, and the big guy over in the corner, scowling and rolling his eyes, is Ben. You can talk into this device here,” Rey held up her digital recorder before continuing on, “Or, you can try turning that light on the floor on to let us know you are here. We’d love to talk to you.”

Something scraped against the floor, and Rey’s head turned towards the table and chairs that rested within the room. “You hear that?” She asked softly, her eyes turning towards Ben.

He nodded before remembering she probably couldn’t see him, finally saying softly, “I heard something.”

Ben had to admit, the ambience of this place was one of stories untold, like the walls themselves had tales to tell. They had been to many places like this before, though, and so he continued on, following Rey, Poe and Finn around in the dark restaurant.

The cellar, though, he had to admit, was creepy as fuck. It didn’t help that he was tall, and had to duck so he didn’t bang his head on the wooden joists, but something kept brushing his shoulder, causing him to flick his hand back in annoyance. He hated spiders – he hated bugs in general, and to think they were touching him always made him want to shudder in disgust.

Finn let out a gasp, and Ben could see he was wide-eyed as he turned his gaze towards Ben. “Ben, have you felt anything touching you?”

Ben let out a snort, somehow managing to keep the camera steady as he did so. “Only some spiders and bugs on my shoulder.”

Finn nodded softly, “Huh,” before he set back to doing EVP work as Poe did his best to irritate the spirits – which seemed to be his specialty.

“Hey, if you all were sailors, you must have gotten a lot of chicks, right? I bet I can get your chicks into my bed, every night. You all suck, plus, dudes… take a bath. You all smell kinda rank. If I’m pissing you off, let me know. Punch me or something. Better yet, punch Ben. He’s that big guy with the box with the red light over there – he’s scowling at us, I’m sure. He doesn’t believe you all exist, you know.” Poe grinned at Ben in the dark as he stood in the corner of the room, his eyes growing huge as something crashed onto the floorboards above them.

Rey’s voice crackled through their headsets to them. “You all okay? This plate just flew off the table in the restaurant. Poe – stop pissing them off.”

“Yes, ma’am. Anything for you, beautiful.” Poe winked at Ben as he turned to place a spirit box on the floor, and if he heard Ben’s annoyed growl in response, he ignored it.

….

As the group met at the van at five in the morning for tear down, Ben was glad to lay eyes on Rey again in the soft light of the rising sun.

“Poe. You’re on coffee patrol. See you in a few,” Finn murmured, shaking his head as Poe swaggered off to the Starbucks around the corner and down the street from their current location. The rest of them set into a familiar routine: Finn and Rey met with the manager of the restaurant, while Ben and Rose tore down all the equipment. When Poe returned with the coffee, he immediately set to work helping Ben and Rose as well.

And, of course, it was Ben who had to go back into the basement, the brush of spider webs against his neck reminding him why he hated going into cellars.

Finally, with everything loaded into the van, it was time for them to head back to the hotel for some much needed sleep. As they piled out of the van, Ben turned to head to his and Poe’s room when he felt a tug at his sleeve.

He looked down at Rey, who had a shy smile on her face. “Grab your stuff and stay with me again? I slept better than I ever have with you there. Please?” Rey affected a fake pout on her lips, which drew a tiny smile from Ben’s.

“I suppose,” he murmured before making short time of going to the room he shared with Poe and grabbing his bags.

Poe just shook his head and smirked, and Ben could have sworn he heard him murmur, “It’s about damn time,” as he walked out of the room.

Rey opened the door with a huge smile, leaning against it as she finished off her coffee. “Hey, big guy. You’re pretty cute. Haven’t I seen you around here before?”

“Hmm, probably. I know I remember a beautiful girl like you, maybe we could go out sometime?” Ben gave her a genuine smile as he teased her, stepping inside the room as she moved to one side.

“You bet your ass I want to go on a date with you,” Rey said softly. “I call the shower first.”

Turning, she headed into the bathroom, leaving Ben shaking his head with a smile on his lips.

When she emerged ten minutes later, Ben was sitting on the edge of the bed, typing furiously on his phone. With a sigh of frustration, he shoved the phone into his bag before standing and giving Rey a shy smile. “Work stuff. My mother doesn’t like the new promo stuff I put together.” Ben shrugged, and Rey sighed softly before she moved closer, peering at his neck with interest.

“Ben, take off your shirt. Not just because I want to see you without it – because I so do – but… did anything scratch you while we were at the investigation tonight? Did you run into a tree branch or anything?” Rey was grabbing her phone now, and Ben reached down to remove his shirt, not questioning why.

“No, I had a couple spiderwebs on my neck, thought I felt a bug crawling on me too,” Ben replied, watching as Rey moved behind him with her phone.

“Uh huh. Hold still.” Ben listened as Rey started a narration while she moved around his frame. “So, Ben says he felt what he thought were spiderwebs and a bug on his neck,” Rey looked up at Ben as she kept recording. “Ben, can you show me where?”

“Uh, yeah. Right here.” Ben pointed to his neck, where he remembered the feeling of webs touching him, as well as the distinct feeling of a bug crawling across the collar of his shirt.

“Did you scratch at it or anything?” Rey asked softly, looking up at him.

“Um, no. I just kinda swatted at it, you know, like swatting a bug away? Like this,” Ben demonstrated as Rey recorded the whole thing. Turning her phone camera at herself, Rey smiled into the camera.

“And this, folks, shows that even a skeptic like Ben Solo can have encounters with the paranormal.” Rey turned off the recording device, going back around Ben’s back. “Stand still so I can get these pictures,” Rey muttered, and Ben did as he was told. Coming around to his front once more, Rey looked up at him, biting her bottom lip before speaking. “First of all, you, Ben Solo, are fucking glorious-looking. Second, look at this.” Rey gave her phone to Ben so he could see the pictures she had taken of his neck. Several long scratches ran from just below his earlobe to the top of his shoulder, and Ben stared at them in disbelief.

“There is a simple explanation, I’m sure,” Ben said. “An allergic reaction, or maybe I scratched my neck when I was asleep and it didn’t show up until now.”

“Or, you had a paranormal experience, Ben. Go take your shower. I’m sleepy.” Rey yawned and gave him a smile, and Ben headed into the bathroom.

As he stared into the mirror at the angry-looking red scratches on his neck, he had to admit – it was going to be hard to explain the reasons for the scratches. Sighing, he headed into the shower, already looking forward to curling up next to Rey to get a few hours of peaceful sleep.

Five hours later, a knock on their door had Ben opening one eye, his voice gravelly as he called out, “Go the fuck away!”

Finn’s voice rang out, “Look, just because you’re finally getting some, Solo – we have footage and sound to go through. Have your asses in our room in twenty!”

“I’m not getting any,” Ben replied softly, only to hear Rey beside him mumble her response.

“Not yet, anyways.”

Ben couldn’t help the grin that came to his lips as he turned over to face her. “You’re giving me far too much to look forward to, you know. You may hate me after you truly get to know me.”

Rey popped an eye open and mirrored his grin with one of her own. “You’re incorrigible, you hate people, your snark game is at a level most people can only dream of achieving, and you’re probably the hottest man I have ever laid eyes on. Add to that, you are smart, funny and kind… yeah, you’re right. I am totally gonna hate you, Ben. Now, get dressed, big guy. If we’re not there on time, all the good breakfast burritos will be gone, and the coffee will be piss warm.”

They managed to make it to Rose and Finn’s room with five minutes to spare, and as Poe showed up ten minutes later with breakfast burritos and coffee, the group set to work eating breakfast and discussing the investigation – including Ben’s mysterious scratches.

As Ben sat silently, trying not to roll his eyes, Finn said, “I knew there was something standing there, Solo. Remember when I asked if something was touching you?”

“Yeah,” Ben said, rolling his eyes now. “It’s just some allergic reaction to something, honestly…” Ben remarked, his eyes going to Rey’s, who just shook her head as she shoved another chorizo and egg breakfast burrito into her mouth, washing it down with her sickeningly sweet version of coffee.

“That’s why I saw someone standing behind you, Ben, smacking your shoulder. Hard. Like when you smack your buddy’s shoulder after making a good tackle in football or something. He was dressed like one of those sailors, you know, from the eighteenth century or so. He was smacking you right on the shoulder.”

“Uh huh,” Ben murmured, taking a long swallow of his coffee and heading to one of the laptops Rose had set up in the room. Sliding on the noise-cancelling headphones, Ben set to work, listening to hours upon hours of recordings from the investigation. He had to admit, as he stood to stretch a few hours later, he had heard some rather interesting things, and he had meticulously marked them for the others to review. They always reviewed each other’s findings, because not everyone heard everything the same way – or at all. They broke for lunch and dinner, and finally had all their data collected and processed by ten that night.

Even Ben had to admit – there were several things he didn’t know he could explain – even though he would steadfastly remain the skeptic of the group. Watching a plate fly off a table with no explanation was an interesting experience, and Ben could recall the sound of it crashing on the floorboards above them as they were in the cellar. He had walked through the building before they had set up their equipment, looking for anything that could debunk the experiences people were having. Besides a few creaky floorboards that could explain away sounds of footsteps, and a drafty door, which could account for doors opening and closing, there was nothing he had found that would warrant a plate launching itself onto the floor.

It was far too easy for people to blame the paranormal for things they couldn’t otherwise explain.

As the group separated for the night, Poe heading to a local bar to find a companion for the night, and Rose and Finn drifting off to catch a movie and a late snack, Rey found herself turning towards Ben. “So, big guy, got any plans for the night? A hot date, maybe?” Rey wiggled her eyebrows at him, grinning.

“Hm, maybe. Want to go do something, Rey?” Ben asked tenderly, reaching out with one hand to capture one of hers, twining his fingers through hers.

“Yeah, I do, Ben,” Rey said, looking down at their twined hands and smiling.

The Savannah Waterfront was beautiful, and Ben and Rey strolled along it, stopping to admire the ships docked for the night.

“We should probably talk about this,” Rey said, squeezing his hand gently. “What this is, between us. Because I have wanted you to notice me for years now, and I used to think you did, but then you’d get silent and broody, and I figured it was all in my head,” Rey said softly, sipping on the drink Ben had bought as they started their walk along the water.

“I did notice you, that night at the party in college. I didn’t want to go, but my roommate insisted on it. Then, there you were, so beautiful, talking my ear off. You had me at hello, Rey. I couldn’t get you out of my head, and I saw you around campus after that… but I never had the courage to ask you out. How could I? I was a dork, overly tall, big ears, stupid, long nose and crooked teeth. I knew I could never catch your attention. Then I saw the notice on the board, and I had experience running cameras, of course… and here I am. But it’s been you since that first moment I saw you.” Ben stopped talking, gulping and taking a long drink from his cup, like he suddenly realized he had said too much and needed an excuse to shut up.

“We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” Rey asked softly. “Neither one of us thinking that we’re good enough for the other. You know what I think, Ben?” Rey caught his chocolate eyes with her own, holding his gaze as she continued, “I think we might be exactly what the other needs, and that if we don’t explore it, we’ll be missing out on something wonderful.” Rey took another sip from her drink, a mischievous grin coming to her lips before she stated, “Haven’t you ever read the comments people leave on our channel? Because, let me tell you, Ben Solo – you have a little fan club. You could probably have a harem, if you wanted all them – which I hope you don’t, because some of their comments about you make me growl.”

“What? What are you talking about? No, I don’t read the comments – you know I hate social media.” Ben’s face grew red from embarrassment, and he turned his gaze to the waterfront as Rey chuckled beside him.

“I know what I’m doing later tonight. I am gonna read the comments to you, so I can hear you growl in annoyance, and then I am going to kiss you until you forget all about anyone else but me.”

Ben shook his head, letting a low chuckle slide out of his lips. “You’re too much…but you may be right. About us being just what the other needs. Would you like to date me, Rey? Exclusively?”

Rey grinned and nodded, standing on tiptoe to press her lips to his gently, then pulling herself closer after a moment to deepen their kiss. Her hands tangled in his perfect hair, and Rey felt happiness settle over her like warm bath water after a day spent in the cold.

Pulling away, she looked into Ben’s eyes, her own sparkling like a million diamonds caught in the light. “Yes, Ben. I’d love to be your  _ girlfriend _ , because that’s what it is, right? Dating exclusively?”

Ben chuckled in return before saying softly, “Yes, Rey.”

….

Midnight found them in bed, Rey reading the comments from their channel out loud to Ben, barely containing her giggles. “ _ Poe might be hot and all, but I want to climb cameraman Ben like a tree.”  _ Rey finally recovered from her laughter enough to snort and look over at Ben, whose face now resembled a ripe tomato, “You are pretty tall…”

“Rey,” Ben groaned as he tried to hide his face under the covers by pulling them up over his head. “Stop, please. This is so embarrassing.”

“Oh, wait! This one is my favorite so far!  _ Ben Solo doesn’t have to be solo any more… message me, sweetie, and I’ll show you some creative uses for those delectable ears of yours… I’m thinking handlebars here…” _ Rey dissolved into giggles once more, and Ben shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all. He had never been good at handling anyone showing interest in him – probably why he was still single at almost thirty-years-old – except, he wasn’t single anymore, was he?

No, Ben had Rey now, and she was all he needed. Peeking out from under the blanket he had pulled over his head, Ben murmured, “Rey… I recall you saying something about kissing me until I forgot about anyone else? Could you maybe do that now?”

And she did.

….

The next morning, Ben sat in the back of the van with Rose, drinking coffee and watching as Rey, Finn and Poe provided their evidence and findings to the manager of  _ The Pirates’ House _ . There was an air of excitement as everyone piled into the van for the drive back to New York – because this was the first hunt that they had captured any evidence on. Ben knew he and Rose were facing hours of editing when they got back to New York, but as he sat in the van with Rey tucked in beside him, her hand twined with his, he couldn’t think of anything else he wanted to do more than spend time with the gorgeous woman beside him – even if it meant cutting and editing footage until his eyes were crossed from fatigue – because Rey would insist on being there for every second of it.

For Ben, that made everything worth it.

**Author's Note:**

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